1 October 2016
Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival
And
National Sheep Dog Trials
Like in Texas, the cool weather brings many weekend festivals. In the East it means, apples, hot cider, cider donuts, peeking at fall foliage, and fiber festivals. Ever since I have known Meriam, she has said “I am going to be a weaver in my next life”. Well, I’m not so sure she is waiting for her “next life.” She’s been making “noise” the last couple of years about getting a small loom. We’ve stopped at various shops along the way on this trip, looking a looms, talking with weavers and now attending a full-fledged fiber festival! My question is “where are we going to have room for another of her hobbies”!
However, I can’t whine too much about stopping here. It seems that in conjunction with this festival, the national sheep dog trials are being held here also. The last time I witnessed sheep dog trials was more than 40 years ago while doing some work in Scotland, so I was more than willing to attend this festival.
Any hoo (misspelled on purpose), we headed to a large, open field just down the road from the home of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States.
Neither one of us was disappointed. There were an incredible number of vendors hawking all sorts of fibers and weaving paraphernalia and the sheep dog trials were something to behold… Meriam was also fascinated by them.
Notice how attentive he is as he looks at his master.
Now notice the wary look he is giving me!
How many of you have seen an Angora bunny?
Wool and wool yarn everywhere!
I think I’m in trouble!
And I thought she was going to get one of those BIG looms!
This boy is “scoping out” his competition.
Each trial is timed. At the beginning, the sheep are about 1000 feet from where his master stands. Once instructed to go, the dog makes a “flying” loop around, staying out of sight of the sheep.
It is important to sneak up on the sheep so they do not scatter.
The “game” is on. He does not “run” the sheep and certainly does not bite or harm them. His job is to herd them through a defined obstacle course.
His first objective is to herd the sheep around the white pole his master is standing next to. Throughout the trial, his master can not leave the pole. If he does, the trial is over.
He next has to guide the sheep through two sets of gates (only one set is seen in the background.)
Then it’s home to the corral! All the while, his master can’t touch the sheep. He can only leave his white post once the dog brings the sheep to the corral.
BTW, we had a tough time picking the representative photographs of the dogs shown here. We must have taken several hundred of these wonderful dogs!